The five daily prayers, their general times and their obligatory rak’ah counts.
AI-generated English narration.
Salah is performed five times a day, each with a set number of obligatory (fard) rak’ahs — units of prayer, each made up of standing, bowing and two prostrations.
| Prayer | General time | Fard rak’ahs |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | Dawn, before sunrise | 2 |
| Dhuhr | Midday, after the sun passes its peak | 4 |
| Asr | Afternoon | 4 |
| Maghrib | Just after sunset | 3 |
| Isha | Night | 4 |
This table matches the one on the main Worship page — it is repeated here for reference within the Salah Centre. Many people also pray additional voluntary (sunnah) rak’ahs around these five, though only the fard rak’ahs shown above are obligatory.
Key points
- The five daily prayers are Fajr (2 rak'ahs), Dhuhr (4), Asr (4), Maghrib (3) and Isha (4).
- A rak'ah is a unit of prayer made up of standing, bowing and two prostrations.
- Only the fard (obligatory) rak'ahs are required; many people also pray additional voluntary rak'ahs.
- Exact prayer times vary by location and date — use a reliable local prayer-time source.
Hadith
Islam is based on (the following) five (principles): ... 2. To offer the (compulsory congregational) prayers dutifully and perfectly...
Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 8 (Book 2, Hadith 1) .
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Lesson 11 of 17 in How to Pray